The present invention relates generally to facilities for providing emergency alert messages over public broadcast and other information dissemination systems. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved emergency alert system that integrates with network-attached appliances in local area network and home network environments to facilitate delivery of the emergency alert message even when the emergency alert monitor system is turned off or in sleep mode.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently mandates support for Emergency Alert Messages (EAM) in receivers. In analog systems, the emergency alert message is typically embedded in the signal itself. In digital systems the emergency alert messages are typically sent via the in-band transport stream. In the cable environment, emergency alert messages may also be carried in the out-of-band (OOB) channel.
Currently, once an emergency alert message is received by a receiver (analog or digital) it is decoded and annunciated. Where a display monitor is provided, annunciation of the message may be as a displayed text message. Where an audio monitor is provided, the message annunciation may be provided in audio form. In either case, however, if the monitor happens to be switched off at the time the emergency alert message is received, the message is lost. For example, if an emergency alert message is broadcast for display on a consumer's television set, and that television set is switched off, the consumer does not receive the alert message.
There are also some types of receiver equipment that employ a power saving mode or standby mode. When such a receiver is in such power saving mode or standby mode, the emergency alert message is likewise not received. Currently there is no mechanism to notify the user or consumer when such messages are broadcast but not received.